After the Railways: Creating a New Urban Structure for Radstock

Aerial sketch of Radstock.

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Radstock is a town set in an attractive landscape, located south of Bath in the former coalfields of north Somerset. The town was severed by the railways, which arrived to service the coal mining industry, and as a result the Frome Road was diverted away from the centre to run alongside the town's river. When mining declined and the railway closed the proud Victorian town was blighted by the derelict rail lands which disrupted the urban structure of the town and cut it off from the river. A vision for the rail lands was vital for the regeneration of Radstock.

The major challenge was to use the rail lands as a catalyst for delivering a sustainable and viable town centre based on good design. LDA Design was appointed to establish the vision and help with its delivery. The masterplan was prepared to create a coherent, accessible and high quality town centre with a distinct sense of place. The site was highly sensitive, being both a Conservation Area with major traffic problems and having significant ecological interest. Our proposals aimed to establish a heart for the town and rediscover its relationship with the river, creating a logical hierarchy of streets and urban block form within the valley and former rail wagon works.

A key element of the the masterplan was the diversion of the A362 Frome Road to re-establish the historic road alignment through the town centre which allowed improved traffic flows. This introduced a new high street and a prime riverside location for new homes. Extensive ecological design and mitigation work, including extensive off site provision, formed an important part of the regeneration strategy.

After extensive post application negotiation the scheme received planning permission and will provide over 200 new homes along with retail, business, heritage and community facilities for the town, within a flexible framework for future adaptation. Our role, as project leader, included landscape architecture, ecology, masterplanning, co-ordinating the planning application and the EIA.

Radstock Rail Lands won a Landscape Institute award for Local Landscape Planning in 2007. The judges stated that the scheme demonstrated "an approach to redevelopment of the highest standard - the panel was very excited by the proposed use of local craftsmen. An excellent example of what can be achieved when a landscape architect leads the team."